Display box



H. l... METZGER DISPLAY BOX Filed Oct.

7 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR fiEA/R YA. NE TZGER ATTORNEYS 1 I a l l April 13 1926 1,586,845

H. L. METZGER DISPLAY BOX Filed Oct. 7 19 24 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY mUflLQL4 A'ITORNEYS April :13 1926. 1,539,845 f H. L. METZGEFZ DISPLAY BOX Filed 061'- 7, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 atented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES v I 1,580,845 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. METZGER, 0F CASTLETON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FORT ORANGE PAPER COMPAIEY, OF CASTLETON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DISPLAY BOX.

Application filed October 7, 1924. Serial No. 742,134.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. Mn'rzonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Castleton-on-Hudson, county of Rensselaer, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Display Boxes, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to boxes, and more particularly to boxes which may be used both to contain merchandise as for shipment and to display the contents to intending purchasers, for example, on the counter in the retail store.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved box embodying both containing and displaying functions which is simple and economical to construct, and which can be quickly changed from its containing to its displaying position.

Another object is to provide in a containing box an integral display box, arranged to fold about the containing box when not used for display purposes so that the display portion adds very little bulk to the container.

Other objects will become apparent from the detailed description of one preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows one type of blank which may be folded to produce my improved box; 1

Jig. 2 shows part of a similar blank for a slightly different box of the same general Fig. 3 1s a perspectlve on a smaller scale of the first type of a box made from the blank shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4; is a View similar to Fig. 3, but employing the blank shown in Fig. 2; i

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the box folded as shown in Fig. 3 for shipment;

Fig. 6 is a similar section of the same box folded to display articles;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 of a box folded from the blank shown in Fig. 2;

' Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the box wrapped for shipment;

Fig. 9 is a perspective showing the front, or customers view of the box, illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8 folded to display merchandise; and

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 of the box shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 7.

The full-advantages of my invention may be realized in boxes made of box-board or similar light material, but certain of the advantages of the invention can obviously be attained in connection with boxes made of other material. The boxes illustrated have been found especially suitablefor the pack ing and displaying'of small package can dies, a number of packages being packed in small boxes of which the display box is designed to hold a convenient number such as a dozen.

As the main features of the two boxes are the same, I shall first describe the box made. from the blank shown in Fig. 1, and will then point out the details in which the other box differs from the first, using like referencenumerals to denote corresponding parts of the two-boxes, the numerals being primed when applied to the second box.

The box shown in Fig. 1 is made from a one-piece blank which is preferably scored as indicated in broken lines to aid correct folding of the blank. Preferably the blank consists of a top wall 11 adjacent the opposite edges of, which are side walls 12, 13, from one of which (in this case 13) extends a bottom wall 14. From the front edge of the top wall extends a front end wall 15. When it is desired to have the box completely enclose the merchandise, regardless of the position of the extension forming the display tray, a rear end wall 16 may extend from the rear edge of the bottom wall 14, but, as will appear, this rear end wall is not an essential element of the box, and may be dispensed with. To render the box relatively dusttight and to aid in holding the blank folded, wings 17, 18, 19 and 20 may be provided on the side walls (as shown) or on the end walls, and flaps 21 and 22 on the free edges of the end walls and the bottom wall.

In addition tothe portions of the blank which comprise the enclosure, I provide an extension integral with one of the walls which can be folded into a tray adapted to support articles withdrawn from the container for display and sale. The tray consists essentially of two sub-divisions 23 and 2t'the first, 23, forming a rear wall, and

the second 24;, a bottom for the tray. Preferably, the tray also has marginal portions 25 and 26, and 27 adapted to be folded at right angles to the bottom wall to form front and side walls for the tray. I

The box blanks may be shipped flat from the box manufacturer to the manufacturer of the merchandise which is to be pac ed in and sold from the box, the merchai'idise manufacturer then folding up the blanks into boxes as he needs them. The blank is laid on a flat surface, as shown in 1, the side walls 12 and 13 are bent up to a vertical position, the bottom wall is folded across and parallel to the top wall, and flap 22 is secured by suitable adhesi to the inner face of the free edge of sine wall 12. When the display tray has walls, the side margins anc 27 of the tray are folded up at right angles to the bottom wall and the flaps 28, 29 are folded so that their lower edges rest on the scored line 30, after which the margin 25 of the tray is folded upwardly outside flaps 28, 29 and thereupon folded bacl upon itself within said flaps until the scored line 31 coincides vith scored line 30, in which position the extreme edge portion 32 overlies the edge of the bottom wall 24 of the tray. If desired, said edge 32 may be secured to the wall 24 by adhesive, but preferably I provide cut-outs 33 to rot-"ire and retain the said edge 32, as shown in 6 and 9. The box is not. read; to be pair. with the articles which it is o. rned to cono 1 tain, in the case illustrated, twelve long, shallow, rectangular boxes indicated at 34- in Figs. 9 and 10. The wings 1?, 18, ll), 20 may now be folded over the ends of the box and the end walls folded up to complete the enclosure, the flaps 21 being tucked between the edges of the wings and the top and bottom walls 11 and 14. The display tray is then lifted up so that its rear wall overlies end wall 1'3, while its bottom wall 24 overlies bottom wall 14 of the box. The side 3 walls 26 and 27 of the tray overlie the side walls 12 and 13 of the box respectively, and the front wall 25 of the tray fits tightly against the front wall 15 of the box. lVhcn completely folded, the box appears as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

It is to be noted that the rear wall of the tray in this position serves as an effective closure for the rear end of the box and thus permits the rear end wall 16 of the box to be omitted if desired. lVh-en the packed and folded box is to be shipped, it may be secured in its folded position as by a band 35, shown in Fig. 8.

When the retailer desires to open up a box to sell its contents, he turns it over from the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the box is really up-side-down. He then withdraws the tray from its position over-lying the bottom wall of the box and folds it about the rear edge 36 of the top wall until the rear wall 23 of the tray rises above the top wall 11 of the box, the bottom wall 24 of the tray'is then folded about its rear edge which separates it from wall 23 until the front edge of the tray rests near the front edge of the top wall 11 of the box, as best seen in Figs. 6 and 9. The tray might not be sufiiciently stable in this position, and its rear wall 23 would, no doubt, have a tendency to buckle rearwardly when subject ed to the weight of the articles being displayed in the tray, and I therefore provide means for reinforcing the tray in its display position. I accomplish this without the use of any extra material by cutting out more or less triangular portions 37 and 38 from the bottom Wall 24 of the tray. The cut-off portions have cars 39, 4O cxtending from their rear edges to pass through slots 41, 42 in the rear wall 23 of the tray, The hook shaped ends of said ears engage with the outer face of said wall to overcome any tendency of the rear wall to buckle. Further to stabilize the tray, I provide on the bottom edges of the cut-out portions 37, 38 cars 43, 44 to engage slots 45, 46 respectively, in the top wall 11 of the box in position to hold said portions 37, 38 at right angles to the top wall and the bottom wall 24, thus to increase the resistance of said bottom wall to the weight of articles displayed. The cut-outs 37, 38 also improve the appearance of the display tray when viewed from the side, as in Fig. 9. The holes in the bottom wall 24 of the tray are covered by the boxes 34 containing the displayed articles.

By suitable proportioning the various dimensions of the box and tray, it will be observed that the bottom wall 24 of the display tray may be given any desired inclination to the top Wall 11 of the box when set up as shown in Figs. (3 and 9. This inclination of the tray displays the entire contents of the boxes 34 in an attractive manner and has been found to increase the sale of the articles displayed, "as compared with their sale when resting in a horizontal position.

The box made from the blank shown in Fig. 2 has five or six enclosing walls, 11 to 15 or 16 inclusive, which are identical in every respect with the corresponding walls of the box just described. The wings 17 to 20' are not quite as long as in the first described box, as Will become apparent from a consideration of the drawing. As in the other construction, the extension to form the display tray preferably extends from the rear edge 36 of the top wall 11. As shown in Figs, 7 and 10, the rear wall 23 extends upwardly only one-half its length-that is,

as far as the scored line 47, about which said rear wall is reversely bent downwardly so that the edge 48 between the rear wall and bottom wall coincide with the rear edge 36 of the top wall 11. The bottom wall 24" of the tray then rests fiat upon, and is sup ported by, the top wall 11 of the box. The side walls 26 and 27 are made more or less triangular, as shown in Figs. '2, 7, and

and have ears 49 and 50 which may be folded outside rear wall 23 to engage slots 51, 52, in the rear wall. The front edges of the tray side walls, and the frontwall 25 of the tray are held together by the same construction used in the box shown in Fig. 1. In the construction shown in Figs. 2, 7, and 10, thelooxes 34, when on display, do not lie flat against bottom wall 24, but are supported at their front edges on said bottom wall and restwith their rear edges on the upper edge 47 of the rear wall 23 of the tray. In order that the tray may fold snugly about the rear end and the bottom walls of the box for shipment, the distance between edge 36 and edge must, of course be equal to the sum of the length of the rear and bottom walls of the box. By uitably positioning the dividing line 48 between rear wall 23 and bottom wall 24 of the tray, the inclination to the horizontal of the boxes 34 when supported by the tray may be varied within wide limits.

lVhile I have disclosed and described but two of the many possible specific construe tions embodying by invention, both of which are particularly adapted to contain and display small packages, it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in boxes for quite different goods without in any manner departing from the true spirit of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A display box comprising an integral top wall, a bottom wall, oppositely disposed side walls, an end wall, and an integral extension from one of the walls foldable into a tray overlying substantially the whole top wall and adapted when so folded and overlying the top wall to support articles for display. 7

2. A display box comprising an integral top wall, a bottom wall, side-walls, an end wall, and an extension from the rear edge of the top wall adapted to rise above the top wall to an edge about which it is bent to extend downwardly and forwardly, said edge and forward extension being adapted to support merchandise for display in a position inclined relative to the top wall 'of the box.

3. A display box comprising a top wall,

a bottom wall, side walls and a front end wall adapted to contain merchandise,and an integral extension from one of the walls rising above the top wall to a predetermined height from which it is folded downwardly and forwardly to extend across the top wall, the free margin of the extension being folded upwardly to form with the upper folded edge of said extension a tray for supporting merchandise for display in a position inclined relative to the top wall of the box.

to support merchandise for display above the top wall of the box.

5. A display box comprising a number of walls adapted to enclose merchandise as for shipment, and an extension from one of the walls foldable into a tray to rest on the top wall, the front margin of the tray being folded upwardly at approximately a right angle to the bottom thereof, and means for holding said margin folded to support the front end of an article adapted to rest in the tray, the extension being also capable of folding around the box to form a compact shipping unit.

6. In a display box in combination a number of walls including an integral top wall adapted to enclose merchandise, and an extension from one of the walls comprising a tray including a rear wall extending upwardly above the top wall of the box and a bottom having three margins folded upwardly at approximately right angles to itself to form walls, and means for holding said margins folded, said tray being adapted todisplay articles when folded to extend over the top wall.

7. In a display box, in combination a number of walls adapted to enclose merchandise, and an integral extension from one of the walls, said extension having three margins folded at right angles thereto to form walls, said extension and walls being adapted to overlie and fit closely about four of the walls of the box when in oneposition and said extension being foldable to another position in which it is adapted to support merchandise for display, the marginal walls then serving to partially enclose such merchandise.

8. In a display box in combination with a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, an end wall, and an integral extension from one of the walls comprising two sub-divisions, one of which is adapted in one position to rise from the rear end of the top wall, the other sub-division extending forwardly into contact with the top wall, said second sub-division having cut-out portions folded to engage with the top wall and the rear subdivision, and means for attaching the cut-out portions to the top wall when in a folded position, whereby the cut-out portions are positively held in the folded position.

9. In a display box, in combination a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls, a front end wall, and an integral extension from the rear ed e of the top wall forming a display tray aving a rear wall adapted to can rise above the top Wall of the box and a bottom well adapted when in one position to support articles for display, said tray bottom Wall having out-out portions foldzible to engage the top wall of the box and rear Wall of the tray, said portions having securing ears to engage slots in said Walls, the rear and bottom Walls of said tray being of approximately the same dimensions as the respective end and bottom Walls of the box 1 whereby the tray is adapted to fold about the box, in which position of the tray the out-out portions lie flat against the bottom Wall of the box.

Signed at Castleton-on-Hudson this 3rd 15 day of October 1924.

HENRY METZGER. 

